Only He Gets to Call Me That
by Lady Mage
Summary: TonksCharlie one shot. They had always been friends, ever since their first year. She was Nymph to him, and somehow, it didn’t sound so bad coming from his lips. When he asks her to marry him after not seeing her for a few months, what will she say?


**Only He Gets to Call Me That**

We had always been friends, ever since the first year of Hogwarts. I was Nymph to him, and he was Charlie. We were the Hogwarts pranking king and queen, and the whole school was accordingly terrified of us. Charlie, the champion seeker and brilliant care of magical creatures guy, (he gave Kettleburn a run for his money); me the Metamorphagus witch who was amazingly well known for dueling and Defense Against the Dark Arts, if not for grace.

Our relationship was platonic, or so I had always thought. I had felt occasional yearnings over the years: the first time I had a boyfriend and was constantly comparing him to Charlie, and then what I felt when Charlie got a girlfriend. He couldn't possibly want anything more with me, and I dismissed every idea of a relationship with my best friend as nothing short of idiotic.

We had kept in touch sporadically out of school. He was a horrible correspondent, and I was worse, but we both tried because we were good buddies. It was the kind of relationship where he had my back and I had his.

Still, despite our correspondence (though minimal) I found myself really missing him as time went on. I'd be walking down the street, and I'd see something that would remind me of him or some joke we had pulled. Apparently he felt the same way, or so he said in one of his letters to me.

_To Nymph_, he had written,

_Something came up I thought you should know about. Remember when we were kids and we had a plan with Hagrid to raise a dragon from egg? Well, Hagrid has apparently continued his dream without us. I got an owl from Ron yesterday telling me that Hagrid has a Hungarian Horntail named Norbert that he is playing father to! Ron and his friend Harry (did I mention that Harry Potter is basically Ron's best bud now? Strange, hmm?) want it out of Hogwarts to keep Hagrid safe. (For all his knowledge of dangerous beasts, they never seem to treat him very well.)_

_Anywho, it amused me, and I wish you could come with me to pick him up. No doubt you will meet 'Norbert' (seriously, what a name- really) eventually when you visit in April. Keep an eye on things at Hogwarts for me please? I'm a little worried because they are guarding something that I feel like Hagrid could give away to the wrong person. You know, the person he got the dragon egg from in the first place?_

_I am amazing myself at the length of this letter- normally I don't have time to write because we are so busy with the dragons- Horace finally teethed today! We're so excited. I miss you like heck. I hope you can stay longer in April so I can show you all around the kennels, etc._

_Charlie_

That was the longest letter he had ever written me, but it was wonderful to hear from him. I probably read that letter for three days and carried it around with me so much that even my boyfriend asked who it was from and dumped me when he found out. I didn't really care- I had never really liked him anyways.

I visited Charlie that April, and for two Aprils after that. I got so I knew the ropes so well that one day when Charlie was sick I was able to take over his duties for him. It wasn't for nothing that I had been listening to Charlie sprout off about dragons from the day I entered Hogwarts! The trainers wanted me to come work for them, but I declined.

"I am not an auror for nothing, you know!" I joked. "Dark wizards to catch and all."

The trainers pretended to grumble, and we went back to tending Horace, the Norwegian Ridgeback that Charlie had written of in his letter to me.

* * *

Now, it is almost Christmas, and I find myself walking into Flourish and Blotts in search of holiday gifts for all. I've already bought Charlie his gift, but I don't have anything for anyone else. 

I make my purchases and am about to go into Madame Malkins', when I spot him, by Quality Quidditch supplies, eying the Nimbus 2001. I know he wants it. Little does he know that it is my surprise Christmas gift to him!

Turning, he spots me. "Will you marry me?" he asks.

"What on earth, Charlie-" I am floored. Here I thought that he didn't want any relationship at all. It seems rather sudden.

"I miss you, you know," he says.

"I know. I miss you too," I say.

"They'd have to transfer you to that Romanian Auror post you want if you were married to me," he says, trying to convince me.

"True, that," I say. The question doesn't seem so sudden anymore, more like a culmination of years of friendship. It seems the next natural step to take.

"And I don't think I can stand being separated from you for much longer," he says again, now sounding pleading. I know better. He knows he will get what he wants.

"Done!" I say, "Your mother has been pining to get you married for a while, hasn't she?"

"True, that," he says, repeating my earlier words.

"Wouldn't do to disappoint her, now, would it, Charlie?"

"No, anything to keep Mum happy," he grins.

"Well, then," I say, "Let's go! No time to loose now, is there!"

"Yes, let's consider this our joint Christmas present to her, what?"

Laughing, we run our way down Diagon Alley to the meriwizard (the wizard that performs the marriage service), acting like we had when we had slipped a potion into Fred and George's pumpkin juice to make their hair turn green. We smile through the entire service, and are still smiling as we walk out into the bright sunlight.

"Oi, Tonks!" calls Bill, heading home for the day from Gringotts.

I'm about to call out my usual, "Wotcher, Bill," when Charlie stops me.

"That's Mrs. Weasley, to you, Bill," he says, grinning.

We laugh at Bill's expression and continue down the way. Finally collecting ourselves outside of the Burrow, I turn to Charlie.

"By the way, Charlie, I love you," I say, morphing my hair into the Weasley red to match his.

"Love you too, Nymph," he says.

The next thing we hear is Mrs. Weasley muttering to Bill that she has no idea what on earth could have come early for Christmas- she ordered all her gifts to arrive on time, not weeks before, thank you very much and have a nice day.

She stops stock still at the sight of Charlie and me holding hands on the porch. She sees our rings, and the expressions on our faces.

"What- when?" is all she manages to get out.

"About an hour ago, actually," Charlie says.

"O, well, no use crying over spoiled marriage ceremonies," she finally says. "Welcome to the family, Tonks- or rather, Nymphadora. Do you prefer Nymph or Dora? Or Tonks maybe still?" I can tell she's flustered, and I don't blame her.

Bill chuckles, "Guessing by Charlies' reaction to her being called Tnnks, I don't think many people are going to call her that again," he says.

"O, I don't mind," I say. And really, I don't.

"Only I get to call her Nymph," says Charlie smugly. "So that's an end to that discussion." I guess he knows that it is only my extraordinary love for him that stops me from punching him every time he calls me that.

But somehow, it doesn't sound so bad coming from his lips.


End file.
